Basketball: The global game

Snapshot: That includes a record six international All-Star starters and a record-tying nine international All-Stars overall.

• Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Kyrie Irving (Australia), Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Lauri Markkanen (Finland)
• Reserves: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon)

The backdrop: In 1984, France's Hervé Dubuisson became the first international player who was also trained abroad to sport an NBA jersey, joining the New Jersey Nets.

• 39 years later, the NBA has 120 international players from 41 countries, representing roughly a third of the league this season.
• The 1992 Dream Team played a crucial role in this phenomenon, turning NBA players into global celebrities and inspiring a generation of hoopers in Europe and other pockets of the world.
• Growth has been sustained through organized efforts like Basketball Without Borders (established in 2001) and the NBA Academy, which has outposts in Australia, India, Mexico and Senegal.

The big picture: The globalization of the NBA has altered the fabric of the league, while in turn expanding its reach.

• The last four MVPs were won by foreign-born players, and four of the top five scorers this season are international players.
• All-Star Weekend coverage will reach fans in 214 countries and be broadcast in a record-tying 60 languages.

My take ... When I was in Paris last month for the Pistons-Bulls game, I was struck by how strong the NBA's presence was.

• From signs in the metro stations promoting the game to people walking through the streets in NBA gear, the league truly took over the city.
• That doesn't happen without international stars, who have made the NBA a league that other countries don't just watch, but feel deeply connected to through players they can call their own.

A quick story … Thanks to Hotels.com, an official NBA partner, I was able to hop around Paris and meet a variety of locals.

• One conversation in particular stood out. It was with a bartender at the Hotel Maison Colbert.
• After learning I was in town for the NBA game, he smiled. "I heard Wemby will be there! Get a picture!"
• "Wemby" is Victor Wembanyama, the French phenom set to be the No. 1 pick in June. The bartender's cousin knew a friend who had grown up with him.
• France has produced plenty of superstar athletes who have played in foreign leagues (see: all their soccer talent), but this, he said, felt different.
• "It's the NBA!" he exclaimed. "I see everybody in your country talking about him, and it makes me proud."

The bottom line: That, I think, perfectly encapsulates the NBA's growth story — a brand that is recognized (and considered "cool") globally, with players who are increasingly international.

• The NBA, like all sports leagues, is ultimately a storytelling machine.
• As it continues to expand beyond the U.S., more athletes get to write those stories — and more fans get to enjoy them.